The
Prime
Minister


is
being
urged
by
supply
chain
companies
to
move
ahead
with
rail
reforms
by
promoting
a
bill
to
create
the
industry’s
new
‘guiding
mind’
Great
British
Railways.

GBR
was
proposed
in
the
Williams-Shapps
Rail
Review,
the
result
of
several
years
of
research
by
Royal
Mail
and
Halfords
chairman
Keith
Williams.

When
the
Review
was
published
in
in
May
2021,
the
government
had
said:
‘By
replacing
franchising,
accelerating
innovation
and
integrating
the
railways,
we
will
deliver
an
efficient,
financially
sustainable
railway
that
meets
the
needs
of
passengers
and
those
who
rely
on
rail
on
a
daily
basis.’

But
an
Act
of
Parliament
will
be
needed
to
transfer
many
of
the
Department
for
Transport’s
responsibilities
to
GBR,
and
also
to
allow
GBR
to
take
over
Network
Rail,
and
so
far
the
government
has
pleaded
lack
of
Parliamentary
time.

In
a
letter
signed
by
more
than
60
business
leaders
in
the
rail
supply
chain
and
Railway
Industry
Association
chief
executive
Darren
Caplan,
Rishi
Sunak
is
urged
to
‘place
rail
reform
front
and
centre
of
your
programme.
Legislation
is
needed
as
soon
as
possible
to
bring
costs
and
revenues
together
in
one
place,
something
which
is
essential
to
the
success
of
any
organisation.’

It
continues:
‘As
private
sector
businesses
we
need
certainty
on
industry
structure
and
responsibilities
–
this
is
essential
to
our
collective
ability
to
invest
in
R&D,
innovation,
skills,
and
to
recruit
the
next
generation
of
apprentices
and
graduates.
The
GBR
legislation
will
enable
us
to
deliver
this,
but
for
this
key
piece
of
legislation
to
be
enacted
before
the
next
General
Election
it
needs
to
be
tabled
soon.’

Darren
Caplan
said:
‘The
Railway
Industry
Association
and
its
rail
supply
members
are
simply
asking
Prime
Minister
Rishi
Sunak
to
ensure
the
Government
gets
on
with
the
process
of
expediting
its
own
legislation.

‘Getting
on
with
rail
reform
will
help
provide
the
certainty
rail
businesses
need
to
invest,
take
on
staff
and
develop
their
business
plans,
ultimately
benefiting
passenger
and
freight
customers,
and
resulting
in
better
value-for-money
for
taxpayers.

‘However,
failure
to
enact
the
GBR
legislation
means
a
delay
to
reform
of
at
least
18
months,
and
possibly
longer
as
we
await
the
next
General
Election
and
then
fresh
Bills
come
forward
in
its
aftermath.
There
would
be
a
heightened
risk
of
hiatus
in
rail
investment
if
decisions
get
delayed
as
rail
reform
stalls.

‘Some
of
the
biggest
names
in
the
rail
supply
sector
have
signed
this
letter
to
the
Prime
Minister,
to
urge
him
to
ensure
the
required
legislation
is
passed.
We
ask
Rishi
Sunak
to
take
note
of
the
letter,
if
he
wants
to
have
a
world-class
rail
system
which
connects
the
country
and
delivers
on
his
own
agendas
to
level-up,
decarbonise,
and
encourage
industries
which
can
give
a
major
boost
to
economic
growth.’